These few weeks around the holidays are always a fun break time for students. Children enjoy staying at home to play, while college students get to finish exams and go home to families for some well-deserved rest. You don’t have to be a student to need some rest, of course—and if you have foot injuries, like stress fractures, you should certainly take the time for it.

These surface breaks are common overuse injuries for active people, particularly runners and other athletes. They are small cracks in bone tissue that develop under repetitive pressure and strain. Not only is this painful, but the break in the normally solid tissue weakens the whole limb. That bone is far more susceptible to snapping under the right pressure.

The problem is that runners and other athletes don’t like taking breaks from their favorite sports and activities. If you want to prevent a full fracture and months of recovery, though, you’ll give your feet their own holiday break this year. Otherwise you might be stuck on the sidelines with a broken foot instead of training for your next race or game. Take the time to fully heal.

Yes, this does mean putting all hard-impact activities on pause for a little while. Switch to low-impact activities like biking or yoga to stay in shape. Ice the injured area regularly and wear supportive, cushioned shoes. In some cases, you may need a cast or walking boot to keep your foot immobile enough to recover. When your foot is healed enough to handle conditioning, slowly build your strength and activities back to normal over a period of time.

Recovering from stress fractures is a process and can take time. Using the holidays to rest may help you heal properly and get back to your routine later without pain or problems. Let Parker Foot & Ankle help you with every step along your recovery route. Contact our Houston office for an appointment today by calling (281) 497-2850 or using the web request form.